Paul Raven, one time bassist with the seminal post-punk band Killing Joke, has died aged 46, after apparently suffering a heart attack in the early hours of Saturday morning.

The body was found by Ted Parsons, a band-mate in one of Raven's many projects, the thrash-metallers Prong. Parsons told MTV: "I found Raven asleep in a chair the next morning in [the living room]. I thought nothing of it, as Raven would sleep like this on the tour bus all the time.

"Then I looked closer at him, and he looked very gray. I checked his pulse and there was none. I yelled for the other guys in the band. We immediately did some CPR and called for an ambulance. Medics arrived quickly, but after an hour of trying to get his heartbeat back, they could not save him. They said he died in his sleep, probably around 6 a.m. It was then 9:30 a.m."

Parsons added: "Words can't describe how I feel right now. I'm devastated. He will be missed by many."

Raven replaced original Killing Joke bassist Youth in 1982. He went on to make a name for himself over the coming years as the band entered a period of relative commercial success. Raven left the band in the early 90s to pursue other projects such as Murder Inc and Pigface, but he remained on good terms with his old band and rejoined in them for a further two albums in 2003.

The band immediately posted a message on the official Killing Joke website that said: "We are all deeply stricken with grief at the unannounced departure of possibly the funniest man on planet earth and a brother to us all. Paul Vincent Raven unimaginable sadness is felt by all." Raven died while recording in Geneva, Switzerland with the French industrial band Treponem Pal.